Tea-dances in West End hotels, weekends in the country with guns and dogs… Phryne Fisher – she of the grey-green eyes and diamante garters – is rapidly tiring of the boredom of chit-chatting with retired colonels and foxtrotting with weak-chinned wonders. Instead, Phryne decides it might be amusing to try her hand at being a lady detective – on the other side of the world!

As soon as she books into the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne, Phryne is embroiled in mystery: poisoned wives, drug smuggling rings and corrupt cops… not to mention erotic encounters with beautiful Russian ballet star Sasha de Lisse; England’s green and pleasant land just can’t compete with these new, exotic pleasures!

Review

I discovered this lady detective when I was watching TV, and the scenery was fantastic. So when I found that it was a series of books I know I need to read it.

With this book, even if it is a bit embellished, we discover about the twenties. You can see all the splendorous of the rich family and at the same time the poverty of the majority of the population. It was the same in England, where the story begins, and in Australia, where its continue. The other point that the author push is the inequality between the men and the women. The women decided of zero it was the men of the family or their husband who decide for her. The abortion was forbidden, and many women died of that because it was illegal and some people take advantage of this people.

The big part of this story is the investigation. Throughout the book, Phryne Fisher meets people, do shopping, go to parties, employ a housekeeper, rented a car (Hispano Suiza) but you do not really see her resolve the main case. It is at the end that you understand that she investigated during all the book. While Phryne investigates for the main case, she resolves two other cases. Even when she investigates, she always wears beautiful clothes. You have many descriptions about them, and some of them look like really amazing, and you would like to wear it.

The most important thing is that we know how Phryne can be rich as she comes from a low-income family in Australia. In the book, she looks younger than in the series. Nevertheless, her personality does not change. She is eccentric but has this part of feminist that is rare in this century.

Conclusion: An excellent book that is easy to read, the description are excellent. The character is very unusual, but it is the heart of the story.